Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, and the capital of the emirate of Dubai but not the capital of UAE (it is Abu Dhabi). The city is less then 200 years old, and many parts of the city are less then 10 years old! Even if the city is considered extremely new and modern, there is also an old part, just south of to the Dubai Creek, called Bur Dubai, and the even older Shindagha district. To the North of Dubai Creek you can find the old financial center, Deira, and further to the North the large city of Sharjah. If you go to the south of old Dubai, on the cities main road -the busy Sheikh Zayed Road with 7 lanes in each direction, there is a very high contrast, since you very soon will enter the ultramodern New Dubai with its many supertall skyscrapers, (many in ultramodern, islamic and postmodern styles) that creates a very spectacular skyline (the most famous are Emirates Towers and Dubai Financial Center) and the New Downtown with Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building!

We stayed for one week totally in Dubai, and went for a short daytrip to Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. We stayed at Grandeur Hotel (3+) in Al Barsha, a new residential/hotel district in the south part of Dubai.

Read the whole article about my experience of Dubai, with many interesting facts on the bottom of this page:

Dubai Marina is a brand new neighbourhood in the South part of Dubai, parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. It was just a desert some years ago, but now there are 3 lakes, some of Dubai's tallest and most outstanding skyscrapers, old tour boats and modern private yachts, de luxe hotels, tall luxorious residences, fancy restaurants, beach promenades, shopping malls and a part of the southernmost part of Jumeirah Beach is parallel to Dubai Marina.

New Downtown is one of the newest neighbourhoods of Dubai, situated about halfway between the old Downtown and Dubai Marina. Here you can find Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building! The New Downtown is literally built around Burj Khalifa, a wide boulevard, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd, surrounds it in a half circular shape. The views from Burj Khalifa can be found on this page. Burj Khalifa stands atop the world's largest shopping mall, the exclusive Dubai Mall, with over 1000 stores, and its own aquarium, souk and hockey rink. Inside the "circle" you also find the artificial and newly built Dubai Lake, with the spectacular Dubai Fountain show with light and music in the middle, that was one of the absolute highlights during our visit! It is the world's highest fountain. There are many other skyscrapers in Downtown as well (the two Address hotels for example), even though they are dwarfed by Burj Khalifa. There are also new residential buildings in Middle Eastern style with fancy restaurants built right next to the lake, as well as a new souk (Arabian market) and a fashion street is under construction.
Some of the tallest skyscrapers along Sheikh Zayed Road can be found on both sides of Burj Khalifa.

Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building! It was completed in 2010 and is 829m to the top of the spire (739m to the roof) and has 163 floors! We visited the observaton deck, called At the top. The skyscraper was designed by Adrian Smith at the famous Chicago based architect firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The elevators are the fastest in the world! It is a mixed use building, so it houses both offices, apartments and luxury hotels, like the 7-star Armani Hotel. Inititally it was called Burj Dubai, but the name was changed just bofore completion to honour Sheikh Khalifa of Abu Dhabi (the president of UAE), since he borrowed money to complete the project in 2009 when Dubai went bankrupt.
Even if it's called At the Top, the observation deck is not at the top, it is situated about halfway to the top to the world's tallest building, 424m in the sky, the 124th floor. There are 163 floors in the building totally, but also a lot of height with just the spire and mast. It is important to know that you have to book you tickets a few weeks before your visit at this site and they are pretty expensive (125 AED for an adult)! The observation deck, partly outside, features a 360 degree view of Dubai, so you can see most parts of Dubai on a clear day! Unfortunately the weather was not the best during our visit to the top (a bit grey and foggy) considering it was in Dubai but could be worse of couse, and since you have to book several weeks before in advance (or pay 400 AED!) you can't really plan the trip considering the weather. The skyscrapers along Sheikh Zayed Road can be found on both sides of Burj Khalifa.

I have heard people critize Dubai a thousand times judging just from pictures but it's not a bad place to be actually. Dubai is a really interesting place to visit if you like modern architecture and skyscrapers, it's not bad at all to see the world's tallest building for example and it has alot of tourist attractions, friendly citizens and very nice beaches. The city lacks the charm of New York and Paris for example but it is really recommended to go there if you are into skyscrapers and modern architecture. I also think the city will look much better then all the parts that now is just desert have been transformed into greenery according to plans (Abu Dhabi is a much greener city for example). And there is an old part that is pretty big, Bur Dubai, that I will show you in the next post. The parts I have shown so far are the modern parts.

I wouldn't like to live there though, much because of the importance of religion and because it's too car oriented.

Its entirely car oriented despite the Metro. It has no charm whatsoever, its strangely empty and depopulated-feeling. You go there for the architecture and to shop. And the prices are higher than the US, so why would you shop there? Its good for a 3 day stopover and that is about all. I feel almost the same about Vegas, but the street life in the evening in Vegas rivals Times Square, its all tourists, sure, but full of life at least. Other than that, can't stand Vegas, either.

I will probably stop over there for a night or two if I go to India or something, otherwise it makes for great photos and not much else. Sorry. (And I don't expect all people to like my hometown of L.A. either)

Dubai is like a city planned with SimCity, indeed.

__________________
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away"

I have heard people critize Dubai a thousand times judging just from pictures but it's not a bad place to be actually. Dubai is a really interesting place to visit if you like modern architecture and skyscrapers, it's not bad at all to see the world's tallest building for example and it has alot of tourist attractions, friendly citizens and very nice beaches. The city lacks the charm of New York and Paris for example but it is really recommended to go there if you are into skyscrapers and modern architecture. I also think the city will look much better then all the parts that now is just desert have been transformed into greenery according to plans (Abu Dhabi is a much greener city for example). And there is an old part that is pretty big, Bur Dubai, that I will show you in the next post. The parts I have shown so far are the modern parts.

I wouldn't like to live there though, much because of the importance of religion and because it's too car oriented.

I like modern architecture too. However, there is a difference between good modern architecture and bad modern architecture.

Examples of different areas, none of them looks deserted or stiff Since many photos on the forum are taken from the new financial district, it seems like the streets are abandoned cause that's not where people live.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennis

I like modern architecture too. However, there is a difference between good modern architecture and bad modern architecture.

Yes there is much tasteless and bad architecture in Dubai, its still worth seeing it though. And there are a lot of nice modern architecture as well in Dubai, like Burj Khalifa, Madinat Jumeirah and Emirates Towers for example.
You can find ugly architecture everywhere, I still think the postmodern buildings in Dubai look way too much better then the grey commie blocks in the oustkirts of many European cities, or some boxy modernist American skyscrapers for example. And there is also an old part with a more natural feeling, that I will show you soon. About the empty feeling, you got the same feeling in many large American, and Swedish cities, and parts of Dubai are not deserted at all; Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach, the malls and Dubai Creek are all crowded with people. So I think the negative attitude towards Dubai is exaggerated!

I like modern architecture too. However, there is a difference between good modern architecture and bad modern architecture.

I am with you. Modern is my favorite type of architecture but there is just something missing in Dubai. Yes Dubai has tall, glassy skyscrapers but it is lacking some sort of charm to it. There are a few skyscrapers that i do find beautiful but for the most part they are just "soulless" structures. like this photo:

Time to visit what was Dubai before the end of the 90s before downtown, Marina and Financial Center even existed , this part has a more down to Earth and natural feeling:

BUR DUBAI (OLD TOWN) and AL BASTAKIYA:

Bur Dubai is the oldest part of Dubai, so if you haven't visit Bur Dubai, you haven't actually been in Dubai! It is the historic city center, located at the Dubai Creek. On the opposite side of the creek is Deira, the old financial center, but much more modern then Bur Dubai. Most of the parts of Dubai that are situated south of Bur Dubai, were built less then 20 years ago. In the mid 1990s Bur Dubai was Dubai, and the rest was desert. Bur Dubai literally means Mainland Dubai. Since 2008, construction has going on on the extension of Dubai Creek, turning Bur Dubai into an island.

Here you can find the Ruler's Court, The Juma Grand Mosque (tallest minaret in Dubai), Al Fahidi Fort that hosts the Dubai Museum (oldest remaining buildign in Dubai), the Iranin Mosque, the only Hindu temple in the country as well as shopping streets and a traditional textile souk. From the creek you can take an large wooden restaurant boat or a small abra (water taxi) to Deira on the other side. Al Bastakiya historic area is situated just to the East of Dubai Museum. The area has been famous for its old buildings with courtyards and wind towers. Click here to go directly to Bastakiya. Shindagha, just to the North of Bur Dubai next to Dubai Creek, is also a historic part of Dubai, here you can find the historic Heritage Village and the historic ruler's house. Click here to visit Al Shindagha.

Bur Dubai is mostly a residential area with not so many hotels, and it feels less touristy then the modern parts of Dubai. A large number of inhabitans are from Indian, and the atmosphere is much more gritty with the souks, old houses, small traditional shops called "trading companies" and old boats, so it feels more then India then the Dubai most westeners got the picture of, but the truth is that this is the real Dubai!

We visited Bur Dubai on a Friday. Friday and Thursday are the weekly holidays, like Sunday in the western hemisphere, so many stores were closed during day, but opened later in the evening, but the souk was open all the time.

I went there for a week, stayed in the Rose Rayhaan. LOVED IT. Woke up everyday on the 51st floor to amazing views(above the clouds one day). THE CITY IS NOT NYC. THERE IS NOT THE TRADITIONAL URBAN FEEL OF THE WEST OR N.A.

Get over it.

It is different and interesting in its own ways. It will 'aw' anyone who goes. You may not want to live there, but I think any skyscraper enthusiast needs to visit at least once.

Alright, I'll admit it, the "get over it" part of my post was immature. I just mean that every city is different, so don't expect every place to be everything for everyone.

I guess I am a glass half-full type of person. I find the good in any place, or try to.

I totally agree with you! Dubai is something very different from cities in Europe and America, it feels much newer then any city you have visited, and even if the city doesn't look "natural" it is still very interesting. It's middle east mixed with futuristic science fiction! Some parts, like Dubai Marina and Jumeriah Road looked pretty similar to Miami and LA, at least for a Scandinavian. The roads, the cars, the malls, the skyscrapers and even the food was very similar to the US while the islamic influence, the mosques and the people, make it really different. The old part, however, looked nothing like America, it's more like Cairo or any city in North Africa or Middle East!
About the statement about abandonded streets, it was not true at all expect for some areas in the outskirts, actually there are many more pedestrians then in many American cites. May be it's different summertime when it's too hot to go outside.

People just love to hate Dubai, so I wish the comments could stick to the photos and what's in them instead of convincing of how bad Dubai is!